Safety is fundamental to Lyft, which is why we are continuously working on new features, policies, and programs to protect our riders and drivers. This includes professionally-administered criminal background and driving record checks for all driver-applicants that are re-run annually, in-app photos of the driver and vehicle, real-time ride tracking, digital receipts, two-way rating systems, and a dedicated Trust & Safety team. Just last month, we announced continuous criminal monitoring and enhanced identity verification – two features to strengthen the safety and security of our platform.

“Lyft is relentlessly focused on finding new ways to further strengthen safety measures on our platform,” said Mary Winfield, Lyft’s Head of Trust & Safety. “Today, we’re glad to continue building on our commitment to safety by making it easier to identify your Lyft ride, get help in an unsafe situation, and ensure everyone in our community is held to the same standards.”

Today, we’re announcing a new suite of safety features and programs as we further invest in the safety of the Lyft community. These efforts will make it easier for riders to find their ride, alert emergency services in the event of an unsafe situation, and ensure any ride issues are communicated back to our support team and drivers themselves.  In addition, we are proud to make a driver and rider education program available as part of our goal to ensure Lyft is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community.

The best way to identify your Lyft ride is to match the license plate shown in the Lyft app with the license plate of the arriving vehicle. To make this even easier, we are elevating driver license plate information in the Lyft app. Many riders have already begun seeing this in the Lyft app and we will continue rolling this out in the coming months.

All members of our community should be held to the same standard. This year, we are making sexual harassment prevention education available to all Lyft drivers and riders as part of our commitment to ensuring our community is welcoming, inclusive, comfortable, and safe for everyone.

In the coming weeks, we will be adding an in-app option that will provide access to 911 from within the Lyft app. This will build on our announcement late last year to provide drivers with an in-app emergency assistance button.   

We value feedback from both our passenger and driver community, which is why we’ve instituted mandatory secondary feedback.  In cases when a rider rates less than 4 stars, they will be required to provide additional insight so our support team can take appropriate action as necessary. Feedback for drivers will be anonymously communicated to drivers in single location found in the driver app-- so they are clear on how to improve and provide the best possible experience for riders.

These are the latest steps we’re taking as part of our continued commitment to making all rides safe and comfortable for riders and drivers. We look forward to announcing more efforts like these this year and beyond.